Developmental expression of violaxanthin de-epoxidase in leaves of tobacco growing under high and low light.

Violaxanthin de-epoxidase (VDE) is a lumen-localized enzyme that catalyzes the de-epoxidation of violaxanthin in the thylakoid membrane upon formation of a transthylakoid pH gradient. We investigated the developmental expression of VDE in leaves of mature tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) plants grown under high-light conditions (in the field) and low-light conditions (in a growth chamber). The difference in light conditions was evident by the increased pool size (violaxanthin + antheraxanthin + zeaxanthin, VAZ) throughout leaf development in field-grown plants.

Fasting hyperinsulinemia and increased waist-to-hip ratios in non-wasting individuals with AIDS.

Objective: To identify metabolic and body composition changes associated with HIV-1 infection in a cross-sectional study of individuals stratified by immunologic status and body mass.

Design: Metabolic abnormalities including glucose intolerance and changes in body morphology have recently been described in HIV-1-infected individuals following therapy with protease inhibitor-containing highly active anti-retroviral therapy. Although this is suggestive of a direct drug effect, the possibility that HIV infection may induce a tendency towards such underlying derangements should be considered.

Oxalate exudation by taro in response to Al.

Roots of taro (Colocasia esculenta [L.] Schott cvs Bun-long and Lehua maoli) exuded increasing concentrations of oxalate with increasing Al stress. This exudation was a specific response to excess Al and not to P deficiency.

P450scc-like immunoreactivity throughout gonadal restructuring in the protogynous hermaphrodite Thalassoma duperrey.

The source of steroid hormones, which potentially regulate gonadal restructuring throughout protogynous sex change in teleosts, remains largely unknown. To address this issue, immunocytochemical methods were employed to detect gonadal sites of steroidogenesis in the protogynous hermaphrodite wrasse Thalassoma duperrey at different stages in the sex change process. Steroidogenic cells were classified based on the presence of P450 cholesterol-side-chain-cleavage-like immunoreactivity (P450scc-ir).

Xanthophyll cycle enzymes are members of the lipocalin family, the first identified from plants.

Violaxanthin de-epoxidase and zeaxanthin epoxidase catalyze the addition and removal of epoxide groups in carotenoids of the xanthophyll cycle in plants. The xanthophyll cycle is implicated in protecting the photosynthetic apparatus from excessive light. Two new sequences for violaxanthin de-epoxidase from tobacco and Arabidopsis are described.

Detection of yellowhead virus and Chinese baculovirus in penaeid shrimp by the Western blot technique.

The continuing threat posed by viral diseases in cultured shrimp calls for the development of detection technologies for monitoring the animals, especially broodstock. Two of the most highly pathogenic viruses of penaeid shrimp are the yellow-head virus (YHV) and Chinese baculovirus (CBV, also called white spot baculovirus). A Western blot (WB) protocol capable of detecting YHV and CBV in the hemolymph of infected shrimp was developed.

Management of intersexuality. Guidelines for dealing with persons with ambiguous genitalia.

Following the publication of our article about a classic case of sex reassignment, the media attention was rapid and widespread, as was the reaction of many clinicians. Some wanted to comment or ask questions, but many contacted us directly or indirectly, asking for specific guidelines on how to manage cases of traumatized or ambiguous genitalia.

Separation of benzodiazepines on a new carbohydrate-based chiral stationary phase for HPLC.

Several benzodiazepines were enantioresolved on a new carbohydrate chiral stationary phase based on maltooligosaccharides. The role of organic modifier, ionic strength, pH and temperature are examined and the results are discussed. In general, selectivity and retention were found to decrease with increasing organic modifier concentration.

Sex reassignment at birth. Long-term review and clinical implications.

This article is a long-term follow-up to a classic case reported in pediatric, psychiatric, and sexological literature. The penis of an XY individual was accidentally ablated and he was subsequently raised as a female. Initially this individual was described as developing into a normally functioning female.

Development of an in vitro quantal assay in primary cell cultures for a non-occluded baculo-like virus of penaeid shrimp.

An in vitro quantal assay (TCID50) for a non-occluded baculo-like virus isolate from naturally infected Penaeus japonicus obtained from China and experimentally infected P. stylirostris was developed using primary shrimp lymphoid cell cultures in Primaria 24-well tissue culture plates. The virus caused cytopathogenic effect (CPE) in the cell cultures as early as 2 day post-infection (p.

From fertilization to adult sexual behavior.

Research has established the broad mammalian developmental plan that genes on the sex chromosomes influence gonad development which determines gonadal hormone production (or its absence) leading to modification of the genitalia and simultaneously biasing the nervous system to organize adult sexual behavior. This might be considered the "gonad to hormones to behavior" model. It is clear, however, that although this model generally works well it is incomplete.

Chiral separation of chloroquine using heparin as a chiral selector in high-performance liquid chromatography.

The chiral selectivity of a commercially available heparin affinity column was investigated for chloroquine. The (+) enantiomer eluted first, which is consistent with results reported previously using heparin as a chiral additive in capillary zone electrophoresis. The effects of pH, ionic strength, and organic modifier on the enantiodiscrimination were explored.

A sulfated cyclodextrin chiral stationary phase for high-performance liquid chromatography.

A new sulfated beta-cyclodextrin (degree of substitution approximately 13-14/cyclodextrin) bonded chiral stationary phase (CSP) for high-performance liquid chromatography is introduced. The novel CSP was used to resolve a number of enantiomeric pairs, including antihistamines, antidepressants and phenylhydantoins, using HPLC under a variety of mobile phase conditions. Among the 33 analytes successfully enantioresolved, all but six had some amine functionality.

Application of sulfated cyclodextrins to chiral separations by capillary zone electrophoresis.

Mixtures of randomly substituted sulfated cyclodextrins (degree of substitution, approximately 7-10) were successfully used as chiral additives for the enantioseparation of 56 compounds of pharmaceutical interest, including anesthetics, antiarrhythmics, antidepressants, anticonvulsants, antihistamines, antihypertensives, antimalarials, relaxants, and bronchodilators. The separations were accomplished at pH 3.8, with the anode at the detector end of the column.

Comparison of 1-(1-naphthyl)ethylcarbamate derivatives of a carbohydrate bonded chiral stationary phase.

New chiral stationary bonded phases (CSPs) based on derivatized malto-oligosaccharides are reported. Chiral separations are reported for 3,5-dinitrobenzoyl-derivatized amines and amino acids as well as some 3,5-dinitrophenylcarbamoylated alcohols. These new CSPs incorporate a 1-(1-naphthyl)ethylcarbamate (NEC) moiety which introduces additional stereogenicity and provides a useful probe for investigating chiral recognition.

Heparin: a chiral mobile-phase additive for capillary zone electrophoresis.

Heparin, a naturally occuring, polydisperse, polyanionic glycosaminoglycan, was investigated as a chiral selector for capillary zone electrophoresis. Baseline separations were obtained for a variety of underivatized drugs including antimalarials and antihistamines. Analysis was carried out at a pH of 4.

The burning of the New World: the extent and significance of broadcast burning by early humans.

It is possible to delimit the areas of the North, Central, and South America that are most susceptible to fire and would have been most affected by burning practices of early Americans. Areas amounting to approximately 155 x 10(5) km2 are here designated as the most burnable part of the New World. Using estimates of burnable biomass, burning frequency, and burning efficiency, the authors determine the amount of biomass burned annually in an environment in which anthropogenic fires were at a hypothesized maximum.

The immunologic staging of chronic active hepatitis B patients in Hawaii.

The hepatitis B antigen/antibody levels and natural killer cell activity status of chronic hepatitis B patients identified by the Hawaii State Department of Health were evaluated to select chronically infected hepatitis B patients for interferon therapy and to determine possible immunodeficiencies. The presence of hepatitis Be antigen denotes active replication of the virus. Ninety-five patients were studied: 17/95 (18%) had chronic active hepatitis B, 71/95 (75%) were hepatitis B carriers and 7/95 (7%) had seroconverted.

Environmental stress effects on bovine reproduction.

Environmental stress is not limited to climatic factors but extends to nutrition, housing, and any stimuli that demand a response from the animal to adapt to new circumstances. Low energy and low or excessive protein levels in the diet are detrimental to reproduction. Likewise, high ambient temperatures and humidity alter the intricate balance of endocrine profiles, leading to lower intensity of estrous behavior, anestrus, embryonic death, and subsequent infertility.

In vitro translation of the human insulin proreceptor results in N-linked glycosylation without dimer formation.

The heterotetrameric configuration of the cell surface human insulin receptor (hINSR) is important for mediating insulin action. Investigation of proreceptor dimerization, the quaternary processing event during biogenesis, offers the potential to examine interactions between disulfide-linked receptor subunits. Thus, dimer formation of the proreceptor was examined in a cell-free system that utilized a coupled transcription and translation method with rabbit reticulocyte lysate.

Y enriched and Y specific DNA sequences from the genome of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata.

DNA sequences that are enriched or specific to the genome of the male medfly, Ceratitis capitata, have been isolated using a differential hybridization approach. Twelve phage clones from a genomic library have been identified that consistently display more intense hybridization with a genomic DNA probe from males as opposed to one from females. Southern DNA blot analysis reveals that these recombinant clones contain at least one EcoRI fragment that is either specific to the male genome, or more highly represented in it, as compared with the female genome.

Three-day dietary intake of incarcerated and nonincarcerated adolescent males.

We collected 3-day dietary intake information from both incarcerated (n = 137) and nonincarcerated (n = 42) adolescent males to provide an objective assessment of diets of residents of a juvenile correctional facility. Average daily intake of energy, protein, 13 indicator micronutrients and of macronutrients as percent of energy were calculated. Average intakes of the total group of adolescents (n = 179) were greater than 90% of the 1980 recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for energy, protein, and 10 micronutrients.

Thiamin status of incarcerated and nonincarcerated adolescent males: dietary intake and thiamin pyrophosphate response.

We measured thiamin status in 137 incarcerated and 42 nonincarcerated adolescent males by use of both dietary intake data and a standard biochemical assay, thiamin pyrophosphate (TPP) response. Average thiamin intake of the total group was greater than 120% of the age-specific recommended dietary allowance (RDA). Ninety-two percent of incarcerated subjects and 93% of nonincarcerated subjects were consuming greater than or equal to 70% of RDA.